I would argue that now is the best time for you to make a move to shore up y'all's bench. Do it early, while any new players still have time to develop trust and chemistry with their teammates, rather than later in the season, when players are going to be less inclined to pass to teammates they're unfamiliar with in clutch situations.

The league needs to review this game. If those are fouls on Stewie, then fine, they're fouls on Stewie...but the refs then need to be made to explain why there weren't 12 or so more calls on Atlanta. They would have to be utterly delusional to claim that Atlanta wasn't pushing off more frequently and harder. Clark gets repeatedly thrown to the ground without a call. A Dream player backs into Howard and pushes her, so Howard steps away to let her fall--and it's a foul on Howard.

F*cking hilarious to watch McCoughtry and Hayes whine about calls late in the game. Um guys, just because you got away with it before, DOESN'T MAKE IT LEGAL. I know it's confusing before the refs are complete morons, but it DOESN'T MAKE IT LEGAL.

Some of that falling before the contact and flopping happens every game, but typically the refs will actually call it on both sides.

The league needs to review this game, especially the Stewie incident. We weren't shown a replay. I just saw her holding her head. If it were in fact a pony-tail pull, the Dream player should be suspended. That's one of the dirtiest things you can do in a game. Also, if it were a pony-tail pull or any contact to the head, the refs should be punished for not reviewing it.

We didn't lose because of the officiating, but that kind of officiating gets players hurt. And if I never see those three morons back in my city, it'll be too soon.

From a distance and more or less neutral position, I thought the reffing did excessively favor Atlanta. Seattle put themselves in the position to make it matter by shooting like shit, but anytime you call multiple O fouls on a superstar you definitely effect a game. [and if they called all of Maya's fouls on her, Shades wouldn't think they were legitimate...so it's all a matter of perspective. While Stewie extends the arm, Maya does a lot of slapping and bodying up that isn't called. For that matter, most of the superstars in the league get the benefit of some questionable calls against their opponents. Sometimes Fowles and Parker get to the line when an opponent breathes on them. Today it looked like the refs going out of their way to put Stewie on the bench. Maybe she kicked a ref's dog before the game?]

_________________“Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud.”
― Maya Angelou

Seattle has 20 PF v 21 for Atlanta. Seattle shot 10-17 Ft vs. 10-11 for ATL. Atl wasn't even in the bonus late in the game and Seattle had to take an extra foul to get get Dantas to the line. This doesn't provide any support for the notion that the refs favored Atlanta. In fact, Sea had many more FT's than Atlanta.

Seattle lost because they couldn't hit all the FT's they were given and for no other reason.

I would argue that now is the best time for you to make a move to shore up y'all's bench. Do it early, while any new players still have time to develop trust and chemistry with their teammates, rather than later in the season, when players are going to be less inclined to pass to teammates they're unfamiliar with in clutch situations.

:: stares intently at McCoughtry and Montgomery ::

I'll grant you this: No question we have at least 3 and maybe 4 players who are never going to get into a close game. So doing anything with one or more of those now wouldn't create any big problem and could well make sense. I just don't think they will. They ought to be looking at some of the waived players though if Lucas, Dietrick and IMS are never going to get off the bench.

Seattle has 20 PF v 21 for Atlanta. Seattle shot 10-17 Ft vs. 10-11 for ATL. Atl wasn't even in the bonus late in the game and Seattle had to take an extra foul to get get Dantas to the line. This doesn't provide any support for the notion that the refs favored Atlanta. In fact, Sea had many more FT's than Atlanta.

Seattle lost because they couldn't hit all the FT's they were given and for no other reason.

I agree that Seattle lost because they couldn't shoot. However talking about the number of fouls as being equal doesn't account for the fact of WHO those calls were against. Stewie played 20 minutes. Even with the shitty shooting, Stewie's minutes on the floor was a major determinate of the outcome. And we're not just talking about normal PFs but here O fouls - extraordinary calls in every sense. And especially against a team which specializes in flopping...

_________________“Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud.”
― Maya Angelou

You can waive one of Lucas or Dietrick (or even both) and bring in one of Cannon (a vet who can scrap) Bulgak (a PF who can do a little bit of everything) Burdick or R. Gray (both who have played in Atl before and weren't too bad). Or if you move on from both those guards you could also give someone on the perimeter a shot like S. Thomas, L. Goodwin, the made for a few seconds players like Chong, Hopkins or A. Alston or the slightly more experienced Colson or Pohlen-Mavunga a shot, or even try to bring back the good old days and bring Schimmel back.

Seattle has 20 PF v 21 for Atlanta. Seattle shot 10-17 Ft vs. 10-11 for ATL. Atl wasn't even in the bonus late in the game and Seattle had to take an extra foul to get get Dantas to the line. This doesn't provide any support for the notion that the refs favored Atlanta. In fact, Sea had many more FT's than Atlanta.

Seattle lost because they couldn't hit all the FT's they were given and for no other reason.

I agree that Seattle lost because they couldn't shoot. However talking about the number of fouls as being equal doesn't account for the fact of WHO those calls were against. Stewie played 20 minutes. Even with the shitty shooting, Stewie's minutes on the floor was a major determinate of the outcome. And we're not just talking about normal PFs but here O fouls - extraordinary calls in every sense. And especially against a team which specializes in flopping...

If you see the refs are calling the extended arm push off and you don’t adjust accordingly, then it’s your own Stewpid fault. I actually respect the refs for being consistent because Stewart consistently extended.

_________________Nnekalonians 1:14 - Thou shalt not accept that which is not earned

If the Storm were my team I'd be complaining about Sue Bird going 2-11, Loyd going 5-17 and Howard 6-17, and how they went 11-17 at the line, not about the refs.

Storm build a brick house that's for sure. Im not complaining about the total foul calls because the Dream were taking it to the basket while the Storm shot wayyyy too many jumpers and 3's early in the shotclock. But some of the calls against Stewie and also Howard were BS.

_________________"Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson were and are the dynamic duo. They're the one-two punch. They're all the clich�s possible to describe people that perfectly complement each other, who make each other better and also bring out the best in the team." �Karen Bryant

What's a foul, I will ask my middle school girls at camp today? The answer: When the ref blows the whistle.

You have to play well enough to overcome in those games in which you feel you get hosed, and if you don't, it's on you, not the refs. Players have bad games and so do refs ... are people calling for a review of Sue Bird because she shot poorly and only had three assists (to two turnovers)? Does Seattle have to do something immediately?

Everyone here has seen a lot of basketball, and everyone has seen poorly officiated games. It will happen, and if you miss seven free throws on your own, and go 4 for 26 from three, you're probably not going to be able to win if the calls are against you. Of course, if you miss seven free throws and go 4 for 26 from three, you probably don't deserve to win either, but that's another thread.

Whining about officiating is one of the most counterproductive acts in basketball, especially for players and coaches. If the calls go against you, you have one recourse: Play better.

What's a foul, I will ask my middle school girls at camp today? The answer: When the ref blows the whistle.

You have to play well enough to overcome in those games in which you feel you get hosed, and if you don't, it's on you, not the refs. Players have bad games and so do refs ... are people calling for a review of Sue Bird because she shot poorly and only had three assists (to two turnovers)? Does Seattle have to do something immediately?

Everyone here has seen a lot of basketball, and everyone has seen poorly officiated games. It will happen, and if you miss seven free throws on your own, and go 4 for 26 from three, you're probably not going to be able to win if the calls are against you. Of course, if you miss seven free throws and go 4 for 26 from three, you probably don't deserve to win either, but that's another thread.

Whining about officiating is one of the most counterproductive acts in basketball, especially for players and coaches. If the calls go against you, you have one recourse: Play better.

Storm offense was not good tonight. Obviously Atlanta's D was a big factor, but the shot selection was frustrating to watch. So many ill-conceived outside shots early in the clock.

Loyd for example still drives me crazy. She still takes too-difficult jumpers early in the shot clock way too often for my tastes. And when she's been cold and then makes a shot you just know that she's going to force the next couple. Like there's some magical force that's now going her way or something and it's not the fact that on that make there was some nice ball movement and the shot was in rhythm. (Like that late 3 she made.)

Howard has been amazing but it felt like she was chucking threes all first half. Get to the hole!

Also where was that 4th quarter Seattle D the rest of the game? That might have helped!

I hadn't seen Atlanta play yet this year and was impressed by their D. Was totally not impressed with the weaksauce flopping, though. Seemed like there was a ton of it going on. Fortunately it didn't always work but too often it did. Also was surprised by Clarendon's low minutes, was impressed by her last year. Looking at the box I see it was 18, so not super low, but lower than it seems like she should get.

From a distance and more or less neutral position, I thought the reffing did excessively favor Atlanta. Seattle put themselves in the position to make it matter by shooting like shit, but anytime you call multiple O fouls on a superstar you definitely effect a game. [and if they called all of Maya's fouls on her, Shades wouldn't think they were legitimate...so it's all a matter of perspective. While Stewie extends the arm, Maya does a lot of slapping and bodying up that isn't called. For that matter, most of the superstars in the league get the benefit of some questionable calls against their opponents. Sometimes Fowles and Parker get to the line when an opponent breathes on them. Today it looked like the refs going out of their way to put Stewie on the bench. Maybe she kicked a ref's dog before the game?]

I agree that from a neutral point of view , we unfortunately don't have a team even near Pittsburgh, there were a lot of O calls. "BUT" Stewie kept throwing out her arm. she didn't adjust after the first call, she didn't adjust after the second call or the forth. that's on Stewie. The fact that Stewie is a super star should make no difference. Fowels or Parker or Stewie or EDD have enough of an advantage with there natural gifts and don't need and shouldn't get preferential calls.

If I were ambitious enough, I might watch a home game of every team in the W and count how many times the announcers complain about an officials call, and how many times they say the refs got it right. I would bet that Fain leads the league in ref complaints. There are other biased announcers and maybe we should expect a little home town bias but Fain is way more ridiculous than the refs.